Wednesday, June 29, 2016

NRA: HILLARY CLINTON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN DEATHS IN BENGHAZI!

By now I'm sure you know about the pro-Trump ad created by the NRA Political Victory Fund featuring a Benghazi survivor who denounces Hillary Clinton while walking through a graveyard:



Military contractor Mark "Oz" Geist says in the ad:
A lot of people say they’re not going to vote this November because their candidate didn’t win; well, I know some other people who won’t be voting this year either. Hillary as president? No thanks. I served in Benghazi. My friends didn’t make it. They did their part. Do yours.”
A lot has been said about this ad, which is the subject of a $2 million ad buy from the NRA PAC -- but let me just add this:

How many Americans died in Benghazi?

Four.

And how many tombstones do you see in this still from the ad?



Dozens, maybe more than a hundred. The ad is filled with tombstones. This shot, with rows on rows of tombstones, is what you see when Geist says, "I know some other people who won’t be voting this year either." You also see rows of tombstones when Geist says, "My friends didn't make it."

Everyone with a knowledge of recent history knows that Benghazi was far from the worst attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in recent decades. Most notably, each of the three attacks in Lebanon during Ronald Reagan's presidency killed more people. I'm not trying to downplay the loss of life in Benghazi, but it didn't result in this many U.S. graves -- but the makers of this ad want the viewer to believe, at least on a subconscious level, that it did. The ad can't just ascribe four deaths to her. It has to make her seem like a mass murderer on a grand scale.

There's a lot wrong with this ad beyond the obvious. You may know that the family of Ambassador Chris Stevens doesn't blame Clnton for his death -- but Media Matters points out that Geist, prior to appearing in the ad, also said he didn't blame her:
“Do I hold her accountable? No. You know who I hold accountable is al-Sharia,” he said. “That’s who attacked them. That’s who killed the ambassador.”
And it should be noted that the NRA says the ad was partly filmed in a national cemetery, apparently in violation of government regulations:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has seen the advertisement, issuing a statement to ABC News that reflects the agency’s strict prohibition of filming campaign ads on national cemetery property that contains the graves of military personnel, veterans and their spouses.

"To date, the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs has not received or approved any filming requests of this nature," VA spokesman James Hutton told ABC News. “NCA did not receive a request from the NRA to film the subject advertisement. If we had received such a request, we would have denied it based on the partisan content.

"As always, our veterans, their families and survivors are our top priority. To maintain the sanctity and decorum of VA National Cemeteries as national shrines, our filming policy states that filming may not be used for the expression of partisan or political viewpoints, or for uses that are (or may be interpreted as) an endorsement of a commercial entity," Hutton said.
The ad dishonors dead U.S. troops and implies that Hillary Clinton's actions led to many more than four deaths. Appalling.

10 comments:

Belvoir said...

The ad dishonors dead U.S. troops and implies that Hillary Clinton's actions led to many more than four deaths. Appalling.

Did Hillary's actions lead to ANY deaths?

Victor said...

If anyone is to blame, it's the Republicans in Congress, who decided to cut the budget for security at embassies and diplomatic missions.

I sometimes wonder if this isnt't what they really wanted to happen on Obama's and Hillay's watch, so they could polticise the outcome?
I'd hate to think that, because that would take a great level of evil. But, seeing them in action since their hero W's administration imploded, it's hard for mr to not suspect it.

Unknown said...

Don't see any outrage at the lies that led to probably the worst foreign policy disaster in recent history.

Unknown said...

John: You mean, all the lies that Republicans tell and their toadies believe and repeat, that serve to distract from real problems?

Grung_e_Gene said...

Everyone knows that Benghazi was the worst thing to happen on 9/11 or over in a Mediterian nation in American History.

Republicans shamelessly use Veterans and those servicemembers who have died to advance the right-wing agenda of Oppression, Intolerance, and Adulation of the Rich. It worked in 2002, 2004 to keep the Republican Party in Power and we have the Iraq War Crimes, Citizens United, Heller SCOTUS and so many conservative wet dreams which have led to so much misery here and abroad.

Ten Bears said...

Are you referring I am sure, John, to the appointment by an unelected ideologically stacked activist court of the frat boy scion of a Hitler financing Robber Baron convicted of the Trading With The Enemy Act family with limited intellect, marginal education and no practical experience to the highest office of the land.

The End of "America".

Unknown said...

Yes, those lies too.

Unknown said...

That was a whopper.

KenRight said...

Grunge Gene fails to note Clinton was complicit in the Iraq War and her Libyan and Syrian (see Seymour Hersh) machinations make her indistinguishable in the misery-causing hot mess of bipartisanmiscegnated wet dreams you mention.

Unknown said...

Really?
OMG...